FatherandSon Trip
by Green-eyed Blue Cat
Summary: A fanfic dedicated to my favorite character, Sir Laguna Loire. Laguna and Squall hadn’t been bonding very well, so the gang decided to send them off on a trip. Fire and ice can never mix, or can it? Please read and review COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1: I’m an Action Hero!

Disclaimer: I wish I own them, but no, FF8 and all its characters belong to Squaresoft. But I do own this story! ^__^

Father-and-Son Trip 

Chapter 1: I'm an Action Hero!

With Sorceress Ultimecia defeated and SeeDs dispatched all around the world to clean up the mess she left our heroes with, everything was back to normal again. 

            "Kiros, I'm bored," a voice came out muffled by decks and decks of documents piling on the table.

            "Laguna…" Kiros answered sternly.

            Moments of silence followed as Laguna Loire, president of Esthar continued on with his boring daily work of signing papers.

            Thirty seconds later, "Ward, I'm bored."

            "…" Ward answered sternly.

            "Fine! I'll go back to my ever so exciting adventure of reading and signing documents!" Laguna exclaimed.

            You would have thought he had given up the idea of protesting against his boredom when a full minute went by with no sound, but suddenly Laguna stood up from his desk and yelled, "Yeah! We're men of adventure, we shouldn't be cooped up in a stupid office all day, I say we go pay Squall a visit!"

            Simultaneous smacking of foreheads was heard. "Laguna, tons of documents are still on your desk from last month, and you want to leave them there for another month again?"

            Laguna walked from his desk in an action hero-ish way. "Kiros, life is too short, why not seize the day and go on an adventure, just like the old days? Let us go down in history with the heroic deeds we performed!"

            "You do realize we're already over fifty, don't you?" 

Ward gave a nod of agreement to Kiros' statement.

Laguna looked at them both with squinted eyes, "Look, are you coming or not?"

Kiros and Ward looked at each other. "Alright, just to keep you out of trouble."

"Alright! Then that does it," Laguna exclaimed as he made a little victory dance, "We're gonna take those giant running bird thingies and…"

"Chocobos," Kiros corrected him.

"Right, chococos, and then we're riding them out of Esthar, cross the Horizon Bridge, then to Timber, I wonder if Timber Maniacs is still standing, then leave the chococos in Timber, and then we'll take the train to Balamb, then we'll walk to Balamb Garden! Perfect! The whole trip shouldn't take more than a week!"

"Riiight, why not just take an airship?" suggested Kiros, knowing all too well that Laguna might lead them astray on the planet.

"You call yourselves men?! Oh puh-lease, you guys are a bunch of sissies! We're taking the chococos! Oh look, a Ruby Dragon! Better have your GFs junctioned everyone!" exclaimed Laguna, pointing and running towards an imaginary monster, out of the presidential palace.

Kiros and Ward could only shake their heads and laugh.

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Author's note: Yeah! My first fanfic! I started writing this fanfic because I noticed that there aren't many fanfics featuring Laguna as the main character, which is a bummer since he is soo hot (not to mention funny to write!) If you spotted some errors I made in the whole story, please don't hesitate to tell me, thanks! Enjoy!


	2. Chapter 2: I Miss You, Daddy!

Disclaimer: I wish I own them, but no, FF8 and all its characters belong to Squaresoft.  But I do own this story! ^__^

Chapter 2: I Miss You, Daddy!

            Two weeks later, at the main gate of Balamb Garden, three familiar figures were seen walking up the steps to the main building heaving heavy luggage.

            "Yeah! Made it finally!" cheered Laguna with fists waving in the air enthusiastically.

            "We should have made it a week earlier! That's it, you're not holding anymore maps from now on. Should have done so from the start," grumbled Kiros while Ward nodded in agreement.

            Scratching his head in an apologetic way, Laguna said, "Look, the point is we're finally here, so let's go see my son right away!"

            Recognizing the three of them as national heroes, the guard at the entrance gave them no problem entering the Garden. As they entered the main building, Selphie, carrying a camcorder, saw them from afar.

            "Sir Laguna?! And Kiros and Ward?! Hi!!!" exclaimed Selphie as she galloped towards them.

            With the same amount of excitement, Laguna pointed at Selphie, "Hey!! I remember you!! You're Squall's comrade…" 

            A moment of awkward followed as Laguna continued his pointing at Selphie while trying desperately to dig up his memory bank for the cheerful girl's name.

            "Uh…cough Selphie cough," 'hinted' the girl.

            "Ah! Yes! Selphie!! Can't forget such a beautiful name now, can we?" Laguna answered, trying to hide his embarrassment.

            "Uh, anyways, you wanna see Squall, right? I can take you to him, I got permission to enter his office."

            "Great!"

            "Sorry to interrupt," said Kiros, "but may I ask why you're holding a camcorder?"

            "Oh, this?" asked Selphie as she held up the camcorder, "I'm going to record Zell eating twenty hotdogs."

            The trio looked at her with eyes as wide as saucers. "Oookayyy…" was all Kiros could say.

            They followed Selphie into the elevator and stepped off at the third floor, where Cid's office stood. Cid was still the headmaster of Balamb Garden, but had temporarily left the duty to Commander Squall for a year and was enjoying tender moments with Edea at the rebuilt orphanage. With the battle over, Squall thought it would be best to return to the spot where Balamb Garden once stood, in Alcauld Plains.

            Outside of the door, Selphie and Laguna prepared themselves for the 'attack'.

            Laguna whispered to Selphie, "Ready? On three…THREE!!"

            Squall was signing a document when suddenly the door burst open with Laguna and Selphie yelling "SURPRISE!!", causing his pen to run across the paper.

            Restraining himself from reaching for his Lion Heart and stabbing the two idiots, he looked up slowly and with just a _little _bit surprise, saw Laguna, Selphie, Kiros and Ward standing in front of his desk. Laguna and Selphie were beaming while Kiros and Ward were shaking their heads.

            "Nice to see you guys again, what brings you here?" asked Squall, trying his best to not break his cool texture.

            "Normally I would say Ragnarok, but it was the chococos!" answered Laguna innocently.

            "He meant the chocobos," explained Kiros.

            A vein popped in Squall's forehead. "Interesting, but I was asking of your business here."

            "What? Can't a father come visit his son anytime?" Laguna asked with puppy eyes.

            "…Whatever."

            "Really? You missed me? I missed you too! Oh, come on, give me a hug!" said Laguna and proceeded to giving Squall a bear hug from across the desk.

            "Oh, what a memorable moment, must tape it down!!" exclaimed Selphie, trying to catch the scene with her camcorder from every angle possible, and in the process bugging Squall ever so much.

            "Oh, I brought gifts too!" said Laguna suddenly. He let go of Squall and started rummaging through their luggage. A few minutes later, Laguna found the gifts and dumped them on Squall's desk.

            "See? A Vysage! Complete with Lefty and Righty. We cast 'Break' on them. These will make excellent paperweights!"

Must…restrain…self…from…going on…killing spree, thought Squall in his head.

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Author's note: I'm curious, is there anyone out there that thinks Selphie might be Laguna's long lost daughter? I mean, they act the same…


	3. Chapter 3: Is It Christmas Already?

Disclaimer: I wish I own them, but no, FF8 and all its characters belong to Squaresoft.  But I do own this story! ^__^

Chapter 3: Is It Christmas Already?

            At the cafeteria, the gang's eyes widened with amazement as Zell reaches for the last hotdog on the plate. And ate it whole.

            "I can't believe…Zell, you're a freak!" Rinoa cried out.

            "Too bad Selphie missed it. Where is she anyway?" Irvine inquired.

            Just then Selphie ran into the cafeteria. "Hey guys! You'll never guess it, but Sir Laguna, Kiros and Ward are here! "

            "Selphie, have you been taking too much sugar again?" Quistis asked in a stern tone.

            "NO! It's true, look, I got the video to prove it!" Selphie played the camcorder to her friends, much to their amazement.

            "You mean they're really here?! Where are they now? We have to meet them, it's been two months since we last saw them," Quistis said, eyes glued to the camcorder. It was now showing the gift that Laguna brought Squall. 

            "Squall's taking them to the guest room, we can visit them now – HEY! Zell, did you eat the whole plate without me?!" 

            Zell burped in response.

            "You know how hard it is to keep a dog away from his hotdogs, don't you?" joked Rinoa.

            "HEY!" barked Zell.

            "So, like, are we going now?" Irvine asked, tilting his hat.

            "Okay, follow me!" 

            Selphie led them to the guest room, but only after persuading them to follow the 'choo-choo train', which she played the engine, of course.

            After knocking on the door, they were greeted by Laguna himself. "Great to see you guys again!"

            The gang was invited into the room, where they sat comfortably on couches and began to chat. Laguna was introduced again the names of the heroes who fought bravely against Sorceress Ultimecia. You tend to forget names when you've reached their age.

            "Ooh! Ooh! Almost forgot, we got you guys presents too!" exclaimed Laguna as he jumped off the couch and swam in their pile of luggage.

            He didn't take a lot of time. A few moments later, the gifts were all on the table.

            "This is for Irvine," said Laguna as he picked up a shear feather they got from killing a Thrustaevis and handed it to him, "goes well with your cowboy hat, doesn't it?"

            "Uh, thanks," answered Irvine nervously, accepting the gift. Seriously, like I'm going to put a stupid feather on my hat, thought Irvine.

            "Next, mystery fluid for Zell's cool hair-do! Man, now those Gaylas are a handful."

            "What?! I'm not putting some fricki – owww – I mean, thanks." After receiving his gift, Zell quickly rubbed the sore point on his abdomen where Quistis hit him with her elbow.

            "There were so many Geezards, and they coughed up so many of these usele- I mean, wonderful screws, so we got a hundred of them and decided to give them to Quistis, so you can, um, do art with them!" A huge smile hung on Laguna's face.

            "Oh my, these…are…truly wonderful screws! Yes, I think I will do art with them," Quistis smiled back uneasily.

            Laguna continued on. "What have we got for Rinoa? Fish fins from Fastitocalon-Fs!"

            "Great! I think…what do I do with them, exactly?" Rinoa looked at the pile of fish fins on the table. It smelled.

            "I don't know, cook something with it!" 

            Everyone started to feel sick. "Okay, thanks…"

            "Right, last but not least, Malboro tentacles for Selphie!"

            Selphie was genuinely happy. "Whoo-hoo! New skip ropes!"

            Kiros had been suppressing his laughs the whole time, but in the end he failed. Laughing out loud, he explained, "We're really sorry, we meant to get you REAL DECENT gifts, but thanks to Laguna here, we ended up staying in almost every hotel on the planet, spending more gil than planned."

            "…" said Ward.

            "Ward says you're welcomed to beat Laguna up," explained Kiros.

            "Traitors!" Laguna yelled at his comrades, then scratched his head apologetically, looking at the now laughing gang.


	4. Chapter 4: I Love My Ideas!

Disclaimer: I wish I own them, but no, FF8 and all its characters belong to Squaresoft.  But I do own this story! ^__^

Chapter 4: I Love My Ideas!

            The gang had a nice chat with their old friends, and left the room two hours later. As they were walking back to the cafeteria, they examined their presents again.

            "This is an excellent gift!" exclaimed Selphie while starting to jump rope, the rope being one of the Malboro tentacles, of course.

            "Easy for you to say, I got fish fins." Rinoa took a whiff of the fins and shrank back immediately, holding the fins as far away from her nose as possible.

            "Yo Quisty! Wanna trade the screws for this mystery fluid?" Zell poked Quistis on her back.

            "No thank you, I've already learnt Acid. I'm keeping the screws, I think I can throw people with these."

            "I was kinda hoping for a Girl Next Door magazine," muttered Irvine as he twirled the feather in his fingers, and was immediately bombarded by everyone.

            "IRVINE!"

            "You know, I think Squall acts a bit too cool towards Laguna, he is after all his father," said Rinoa.

            "Look who's talking, you act the same towards your father too," Irvine remarked.

            "That's a totally different story! Now we're focusing on Squall, please!"

            "Touchy," said Irvine while holding up both of his hands in defense.

            Suddenly an idea popped into Rinoa's head. "I know! Let's send the two of them on a trip! It'll be a good chance for father and son to catch up."

            "Are you sure about this, Rinoa?" Somehow the idea of trying to mix fire and ice together didn't really sound promising to Quistis.

            "Hey, I think it's a great idea. Count me in!" butted Zell.

            Everyone else seemed keen on the idea, so Quistis had no reason to object.

            "So, like, how are we going to persuade them? I mean, Laguna's easy, but what about Squall? He's not gonna take the plunge that easily, unless we, like, kidnap him or something," remarked Irvine.

            Everyone's eyes lit up. "Yeah! We'll kidnap both of them, and we'll ask Kiros and Ward to help! Booyaka! This is going to be fun!" exclaimed Selphie, jumping up and down in excitement.

            "Okay, we'll make out the details later on with them," Rinoa said, "I'm sure Squall will thank us later!"


	5. Chapter 5: You Are So Sued!

Disclaimer: I wish I own them, but no, FF8 and all its characters belong to Squaresoft.  But I do own this story! ^__^

Chapter 5: You Are So Sued!

            It was three in the morning of the third day. Not a soul was awake in Balamb Garden. Everyone was dreaming away at fighting monsters or delicious hotdogs of the cafeteria. Everyone except Rinoa, Irvine, Selphie, Quistis, Zell, Kiros and Ward. The plan had been laid out. Group A, which consisted of Rinoa, Irvine, Selphie and Quistis, were to kidnap Squall in his dorm, while Group B, which consisted of Zell, Kiros and Ward, were to kidnap Laguna in the guest room.

            Group A gathered outside of Squall's room, having a last-minute check on things. They brought everything needed. Good. Rinoa knew the password to Squall's room, and that made matters simple. Quietly she unlocked the door, and with the stealth of cats, everyone entered the room and gathered around Squall's bed. Rinoa almost giggled when she saw Squall sleeping like an angel. Ready with a sack, she gave out the signal to pounce on Squall. As quick as lightning, Selphie grabbed his left arm, Quistis grabbed his right arm while Irvine caught both his legs. Startled, Squall awoke from his sleep but before he could see who the intruders were, a sack was shoved down and he was quickly tied in. 

            Carrying their 'prized loot', Group A scurried back to the Garden Directory, their meeting place with Group B. Squall was making a lot of noise, but since he was protected from 'Silence' and 'Sleep', they had to put up with his constant yelling and threatening. Well, actually it was kinda funny, so it didn't bother them that much. 

            A few minutes later, Group B arrived with their 'prized loot'. To Group A, it seemed like they were carrying a sack of potatoes. Their catch was hardly moving and only the sound of snoring could be heard. 

            "We gave him more booze than he should have," explained Kiros, with a smile on his face.

            "…" remarked Ward, looking intently at the other sack. Squall was now swearing, something that no one expected.

            "I didn't know he swore either, but we have no way to shut him up," answered Rinoa.

            "Anyway, mission accomplished. Now let's get these two and their stuff up into Ragnarok and fly them over to their destination," said Kiros.

            "Phew! I'm glad you gave me those Malboro tentacles, Squall would have broken out easily if we used ordinary ropes instead. He has, like, really high strength ratings," remarked Selphie.


	6. Chapter 6: Are We There Yet?

Disclaimer: I wish I own them, but no, FF8 and all its characters belong to Squaresoft.  But I do own this story! ^__^

Chapter 6: Are We There Yet?

"I am so going to kill them all!" muttered Squall as he tried desperately to break free from the sack. Why was it that hard to make a hole in industrial sacks made from reinforced material? Overhearing the gang's conversation, it wasn't difficult to figure out their 'amazing' plan of dumping him and another guy at a spot on the surface of the planet. "If this is a joke, it's not funny!"

The other sack had not been moving much yet, but a few groans could be heard.

For hours Selphie had been singing cheerfully on the pilot seat, while the others kept their eyes on both sacks. 

"A hundred gil says Laguna is going to thank us while Squall will try and kill us!" joked Irvine.

"Hey guys! I see our destination ahead," suddenly Selphie cried out.

Ragnarok hovered over the plains, then touched down.

Squall could feel that he was being lifted and carried off, then after awhile was put down again. He prepared himself to seize one of his friends once he was freed from the sack and demand an explanation. As he felt the knot around the mouth of the sack loosened, he immediately sprang up. But before he could grab the culprits, they were already running towards Ragnarok and had boarded the airship in just a few seconds' time, leaving an extremely vexed Squall behind as it flew away in a blink of an eye.

A moan behind Squall caused him to turn around and face his adversary in reflex. To his surprise (and horror) he found out it was Laguna! So the other guy mentioned was his own father! Of all the people in the world, it had to be this particular annoying man…

Laguna had finally sobered, and was having a bad case of hangover. Massaging his temples, he finally realized that he was facing a sapphire sky instead of a ceiling. Rolling over, he saw green grass. And boots. Boots? He looked up, and saw his son staring menacingly at him. He tried to remember what happened last night, but the attempt made the headaches worse. He slumped down on the grass again, refusing to think anymore.

Squall looked around them. His trusty Gunblade was lying on the grass nearby. So was Laguna's machinegun. He picked up his weapon and found a white envelope underneath it. Opening the envelope, he saw a letter and some money in it. The letter read:

_Dear Sir Laguna and Squall,_

_Please don't be mad at us. We just figured that it would do you both good having a trip, so you can catch up on lost years. Enclosed is 5000 gil, which should be enough for expenses and a train ticket from Timber to Balamb. We planned real hard to make sure you guys can only _walk_ to Timber, so you can have more time together ^_^_

_Hope to see you guys back at Balamb Garden in two week's time!_

_PS Kiros wants you to know that giving Laguna the map is a bad idea. _

_PPS Selphie wants to remind you about souvenirs._

_                                                                                                            Love,_

_                                                                                                            Rinoa _

            "I didn't see a map…" Squall looked through the remaining stuff on the grass.

            Laguna felt something behind his back. Pulling it out, he saw that it was a map.

            Squall saw the map too. "Too late."

            Laguna sat upright and examined the area. This place looks familiar, he thought. His headaches were getting better now. Suddenly he saw something white partly hidden in the grass from his point of view not far away. He struggled up and walked towards it.

            Squall's eyes followed Laguna's every move. He could see something up ahead too. It looked like a flat white stone set on the ground, adorned with white flowers. Then he saw Laguna kneel down beside it. Curious, he walked towards the stone.

            Laguna was deep in thought. He remembered well that night, where he had asked Raine to come to that exact spot. The stars were bright in the sky, and a breeze swept by, making the grass dance. He was blushing furiously, but Raine didn't see for it was too dark. He tried to say the words he had longed to say, but the words were caught in his throat and would not come out. Raine got impatient and was about to leave, thinking it was a prank. Fearing he would not get another chance, he quickly caught hold of Raine's hand, and slipped a ring onto her finger. He could not forget that face, her beautiful face that looked up at him with star-lit eyes, her beautiful face that told him she was the perfect woman for him…He remembered distinctively that he had thanked Hyne for not having a leg cramp at that moment.

            He missed her so much.

            Squall knelt down beside him. He read the inscriptions engraved on the stone. Only then did it struck him that he was at his mother's grave.

            Squall felt something inside him urging him to greet his deceased mother. "Hi…mom."

            Laguna awoke from his thoughts. Looking at Squall, he smiled. "Come on, Winhill's just over that slope. We'll have breakfast there."

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Author's note: I remember when I was watching the FMV of Laguna asking for Raine's hand in marriage, I cried. They were so perfect for each other! It's a shame Raine died so young…


	7. Chapter 7: Little Town of Memories

Disclaimer: I wish I own them, but no, FF8 and all its characters belong to Squaresoft.  But I do own this story! ^__^

Chapter 7: Little Town of Memories

            The small town of Winhill was just waking up when father and son arrived. The aroma of coffee mingled with the fragrance of flowers was very inviting for the both of them. As soon as they stepped into town, they came face to face with Raine's old pub. Laguna came to a halt and stared at the old building, memory stirring in his old mind. He had so many fond memories of Raine and little Ellone.

            As they continued to walk, Laguna started to comment on how the town had changed and how it used to be. Nothing much had changed, but there were fewer flowers growing then. He laughed at the sight of a chicobo running across the road. He stopped to admire the scenery at times. But he kept on describing how Winhill was and how he used to spend the day playing with Ellone and helping with Raine's flower shop. Squall acted as if he didn't care, but he was actually secretly listening and smiling to himself.

            A few older people recognized Laguna as the bloke who brought ruckus to the small town many years ago. Laguna waved at them but he was met with unfriendly gazes. Squall wished that they would just lay off. However, some of the townspeople were on friendlier terms, and gave a smile and a nod when they saw them.

            They had a good breakfast at the Flower Restaurant in the hotel. After finishing their meals, Squall excused himself for a nap as he was rudely awoken at three in the morning and hadn't had a wink since. Laguna on the other hand wanted to visit more of Winhill.

            "We could stay here for a night and start our journey tomorrow morning," suggested Laguna.

            Squall understood perfectly. He knew right away that Laguna had sentimental attachments for this place ever since he saw that large drawing of Winhill town hanging over the door of the meeting room in Esthar Presidential Palace.

            Laguna skipped out of the hotel happily. "I wonder if the shopkeeper still remembers me." 

            Reaching the shop, he knocked on the door cheerfully. 

            "You?! I thought you were dead all these years! Now scram!"

            Yep, he remembered Laguna alright.

            Laguna decided to walk back to Raine's pub. On the way, he got the chance to chat with a few friendlier old friends. He even tried to kick the chicobo on his way, but lost his footing and fell on his back. Good thing it didn't break.

            It was a weird experience, coming back to Winhill and seeing Raine's old pub again. Entering the room, a warm sensation started building inside of him. Suddenly, he thought he saw Raine walking down the stairs. As he blinked his eyes, he realized it was only the current owner of the building. Apparently, the woman was used to people confusing her with Raine. Laguna apologized and left the apartment.

            The house he used to live in was just beside Raine's pub. He entered the now vacant house and went upstairs. Things have changed so much, he thought as he sat on his old bed.

            They were right to dump Squall and him at Winhill, he thought. After all, everything started here.

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Author's note: For those who did not know, there's an event at Winhill. Raine's spirit and kicking the chicobo originated from there. Replay the game if you've missed it, it's worth it. Hint: Try and kick the chicobo several times. Another word of advice, if you're afraid of spooks (like me), don't play this event during the night alone ^_^


	8. Chapter 8: Have More Monster Broth, Sir!

Disclaimer: I wish I own them, but no, FF8 and all its characters belong to Squaresoft.  But I do own this story! ^__^

Chapter 8: Have More Monster Broth, Sir!

Early next morning, Laguna and Squall were lucky enough to find a kind man willing to take them across the waters in a boat up north. Upon leaving Winhill, Laguna secretly waved goodbye to the little town of memories.

            "We'd better junction ourselves, just in case, but it won't be necessary actually. I plan to junction Enc-none," explained Squall as he prepared himself for the long walk home.

            "No, no, no…don't spoil the fun! I'm raring to kill some monsters all the way back to Balamb Garden!" cried Laguna.

            Squall placed his right hand on his hips and looked at the ground beside him, frowning. After a few minutes of consideration (and the constant wailing of Laguna), Squall finally gave in.

            As Squall junctioned the GF Eden, Laguna noticed it had a quirky command called 'Devour'. "Pleeeease show me what it does…" pleaded Laguna with watery eyes.

            Squall knew the consequence if he didn't show Laguna. Another Selphie Tilmitt. "Alright, but not now."

            Laguna beamed at Squall. The man following them started to reconsider seriously if offering the two nutcases help was a big mistake. 

            It wasn't difficult towing a motorboat to the beach. Squall had super strength. And also, any monsters they met on their way was quickly finished off by the two seasoned fighters. Two hours later, they arrived at the beach.

            As the man was starting the engine, a fastitocalon-F happened to turn up. Squall looked at Laguna and asked, "Didn't you say you want me to show you what 'Devour' does?"

            Laguna nodded vigorously. Squall ran towards the monster and…

            "Oh dear Hyne! Eww! Yuck!" Laguna couldn't believe his eyes.

            A few seconds later, the monster was gone and Squall felt refreshed. "There, happy now?"

            "That was just gross…can I try?" Again with the watery eyes.

            "Suuure…" Squall handed Laguna the GF.

            Laguna jumped up and down enthusiastically like a five-year-old who had just been given a new toy. Junctioning the GF, he immediately ran towards a Blood Soul not far off.

            "No, wait!" yelled Squall.

            Too late. Laguna used 'Devour' on the monster, but instead of curing him, he got cursed. "I look ugly with green skin…" sobbed Laguna.

            Squall frowned while casting 'Esuna' on Laguna. Why did he have to baby-sit him, why…

            Finally the motorboat started and before long they were bumping along the waves. Laguna was very quiet, and it was starting to bother Squall. 

            "What is it this time?"

            "Well, I was just wondering…are you mad at me for…missing out on your childhood?" 

            Squall was silent for a minute. "You had to save Ellone."

            Neither of them continued talking for a while. 

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Author's note: I hope I'm not wrong in thinking GFs as items. By the way, 'Devour' was really funny so I thought I could put it in my fanfic. Think about it, if Squall (or anyone else) devoured a monster bigger than himself, why didn't his tummy explode? Funny usage of pictures of flowers, meadow and the ocean too ^_^


	9. Chapter 9: How’s Deling City Been Treati...

Disclaimer: I wish I own them, but no, FF8 and all its characters belong to Squaresoft.  But I do own this story! ^__^

Chapter 9: How's Deling City Been Treating Ya?

            "Ooh lookie! The D-district prison! Did you know Ward worked as a janitor there? Imagine the big guy mopping floors!" Laguna pointed at the ominous-looking building in the middle of the desert. Squall wasn't thrilled to see it. That building was a nightmare to him.

            "Okay, according to the map, we should go that way to Timber!" Laguna pointed north.

            "Are you sure? I remember it was this way," Squall pointed east.

            "Maps don't lie! Now start walking!" Laguna marched northwards, blissfully unaware that he was holding the map the wrong way.

            After a tiring walk of endless hours, they finally reached a city illuminated with welcoming lights by nightfall. Squall smacked his forehead. "We've arrived in Deling City! I told you to go my way! By the way, why is it always night time in Deling City?"

            "Hey! I've been here with Kiros and Ward a few days ago, but we never got to go sight-seeing. Could you take me on a tour this time?" 

            Squall wanted to say no, but Laguna's puppy eyes were too much. Really, they were getting annoying.

            "This is the car rental shop…this is a T-junction…" Why does this remind me of Rinoa, thought Squall. "And this is…" He stopped dead in his sentence. General Caraway's Mansion! The last place he wanted Laguna to see.

            "You know what? I'm hungry. Let's go have dinner," Squall said in his most convincing tone, and without waiting for Laguna's response, he dragged him to the farthest restaurant on the street, far, far away from Caraway's Mansion.

            They found a table at a corner, a perfect place to hide from unwanted attention. Just when Squall thought everything would be fine, a hand dropped on his shoulder. He immediately turned his head, only to see Caraway himself standing behind him!

            "Squall Leonhart. I thought it was you," Caraway smiled a bit. He was dressed in informal clothes, but a sense of sternness was still present. 

            Squall saluted the man. "Good to see you, sir. I'm glad you took office as General again." A hint of panic was in his voice.

            He was lucky Caraway didn't notice. He was much interested in Laguna. The latter stood up and shook hands with Caraway. Caraway eyed him carefully, "You are…" 

            "Laguna Loire. Squall's father."

            Caraway was most interested. "Fascinating. I'm Peter Caraway, Rinoa's father."

            Squall watched in horror as the two older men sat down and started conversing. If he let them continue, they might learn about both men's relationships with Julia, the piano player and singer. Caraway would find out that Laguna was Julia's lover, while Laguna would find out that Caraway married Julia. They might even start to fight, if Caraway accused Laguna for leaving Julia. Laguna would know that Rinoa was Julia's daughter. Why would that matter? Or rather, why would he care? Just because Laguna might get upset…Whoa. Why would he care if Laguna might get upset? He wasn't like this a few months ago. Did Rinoa turn him into an emotional man again?

            "My wife was Julia Heartilly, she wrote the song 'Eyes on Me'. Have you heard it before?" Caraway asked.

            His words were like a hammer that pounded Squall's head. In his confusion, Caraway had blurted out the words he dreaded Laguna to hear.

            Laguna was taken aback. He hadn't given much thought about this Caraway with the one Kiros told him in Winhill many years ago. However, nothing bad that Squall imagined happened.

            "Really? You're a lucky fellow to marry such a fine woman."

            Squall drew in a big breath. Good thing Laguna was sensible enough not to tell Caraway about his ex-lover. He even started to picture a jealous Raine eyeing Laguna angrily, and chuckled to himself. He sat down and listened in on their conversation, from which he learnt a great deal about his father. Maybe Laguna's not that bad after all…

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Author's note: Even though General Caraway was persecuted after the failed assassination of Sorceress Edea, I figured he took office again after Sorceress Ultimecia's defeat. Oh, about his name, I don't think I recall the game mentioning his name, so I made one up for him.


	10. Chapter 10: Marry Me You Shall!

Disclaimer: I wish I own them, but no, FF8 and all its characters belong to Squaresoft.  But I do own this story! ^__^

Chapter 10: Marry Me You Shall!

            After another tiring journey, they finally arrived at Timber.

            "See? I told you to go east, but noooo, 'the map says north', said Mr Map-never-lies," smirked Squall.

            Laguna pouted. It wasn't his fault that maps had no sense of directions.

            "The next train to Balamb leaves in two hours, how convenient," remarked Squall after checking with the train station.

            Laguna was checking the chocobos that Kiros, Ward and he left in Timber a few days ago. Fortunately they stayed healthy. 

            "Alright. Maybe I'll visit Timber Maniacs for the time being, join me?"

            Squall thought about the editor of Timber Maniacs and shuddered. He had heard enough stories to last into the next century from Laguna's incessant babbling on the road, stories such as how he got to join the Galbadian army, how he got to know Kiros and Ward, and how about the time he had to be a B-grade movie actor just to earn money?  Why listen in on another life story of another boring man?

            "I'll…" started Squall, with the intention of rejecting the invitation.

            "You'll go? That's great!" Before Squall had finished, Laguna was already grabbing him by the collar and leading – well, actually dragging – him on his way. Squall frowned, but did not give any resistance.

            "AAAHHH!!"

            A girlish scream shocked both men. Before they had time to react, a girl had already caught hold of Squall's hand tightly. A whole bunch of kids gathered around him.

            "It really is you! Do you still remember me? You saved me from the train a few months ago!" the little girl squealed with delight. The other kids were examining Squall from head to toe.

            "Hey! Why didn't you tell me before? You make me so proud!" Laguna yelled from across the sea of children.

            Squall didn't know what to do. The girl kept on tugging his hand, and the children had formed a wall around him, denying him of any exit from this embarrassment. He looked up at Laguna, begging with his eyes that his father would help him.

            Laguna ignored his son's helpless look. He did look silly surrounded by kids. Would it be too much to ask Squall and Rinoa to have as much babies as a team of footballers consisted of?

            "I made up my mind to marry you! I even broke up with Buddy. I told him I'm not into dangerous activities anymore," the little girl continued squealing happily. The other kids were now yelling "Marry! Marry!" Squall's cheeks were fiery red with embarrassment as onlookers watched them with glee.

            "Um, I can't marry you, little girl, 'cause I have a girlfriend who's waiting for me back home," Squall tried to wriggle out of the situation.

            "Not if I marry you first!" 

This girl sure is persistent, thought Squall as the other children pushed and pulled Squall away. "Where are you taking me?"

"I'll marry you now! We're taking you back to my house," answered the girl with a huge smile on her face.

This is getting way out of hand, Squall thought, starting to panic. Marrying a little girl was not in their plan of getting home. Plus, if he missed the train, they'd have to wait another three days for another ride home. And he missed his bed very much.

"A little help over here?" he yelled at Laguna.

Laguna stifled a laugh. "You're forgetting the magic words," he yelled back.

"Please?" The force of the group of kids was too much. He was pushed farther and farther away from the train station.

"Nope! The word D-A-D!" 

Squall was getting desperate. He drew in a big breath before yelling on top of his lungs the 'magic word', "Please DAD?!"

Laguna followed slowly behind. "Ah, that word is like a melody to my ears. I wonder why you rarely use it?"

Squall was bright red from embarrassment AND anger. "Oookay, if you help me out, I'll call you 'dad' as often as possible, happy?!"

Laguna looked at the children and wondered aloud, "Are they really that hard to deal with? I mean, you fight with monsters all the time…"

"DAD!!"

"Fine! I'll help you!"

Laguna moved closer to the mob, picked the girl out and took her aside. "Listen, I got a secret to tell you."

The other kids stopped, but Squall was still trapped.

"He doesn't want to tell you this, but someday you'll know that there are men who marry men."

The little girl arched her eyebrow in confusion.

Laguna pointed to Squall, "We are actually secret lovers."

"I thought he had just called you 'dad'," the girl pointed out.

"It's our secret way of calling each other," Laguna sported a smile.

The girl refused to believe his words. "Prove it."

"Fine," replied Laguna, with a wink.

Squall couldn't catch what Laguna had told the girl. As Laguna walked towards him with his hands in his pockets, the girl gave instructions to the kids to clear a path. He thought everything was finally okay.

He was about to give thanks to his father when suddenly the latter took out his hands, caught hold of Squall's cheeks and pulled him in for a long kiss on the lips. Squall's eyes widened with astonishment.

That did the trick. The kids quickly dispersed, shrieking all the way home. When every single kid had left, Laguna finally ended the kiss. He looked at Squall and laughed heartily, for he had put duct tape on Squall's mouth before leaning in for the kiss. Squall looked stupid with duct tape on his face.

Laguna helped his son peel off the duct tape. "Neat trick, huh? Always remember to have duct tape in your pocket. Learnt it while making the movie. I had to kiss disgusting 'princesses', so this trick came in a lot of help."

Squall stood motionless with eyes narrowed, trying to burn a hole through his father with his piercing looks.

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Author's note: Again, for those who didn't know, Squall can save a girl from an oncoming train in Timber. I took the liberty to make up a name for the kid on the bridge. I actually learnt the duct tape trick from Ranma ½ (love that show!) 


	11. Chapter 11: Home Sweet Home

Disclaimer: I wish I own them, but no, FF8 and all its characters belong to Squaresoft.  But I do own this story! ^__^

Chapter 11: Home Sweet Home

            Finally father and son got on the train to Balamb. Squall had been very silent the whole time and kept on staring the floor as if he wanted to burn a hole in it as well, not that it was unusual, but it was bugging a hell lot out of Laguna.

            "You wanna know a secret? The 'woman' at the pub in Dollet was actually a man!" Laguna tried his best to break the ice.

            Squall had enough about men wanting to marry men, or men kissing men…eww…unwanted flashback

            "You know, I once saved a girl too while I was serving in Timber, and I didn't have your problem…" 

            "She hated Galbadian soldiers," Squall blurted out, without his own awareness that he had opened his mouth and spoken.

            "You know her?! How is she now?" Laguna asked with much interest.

            This time Squall kept quiet. He was too busy cursing himself for even talking to Laguna. 

            "You know, I did save your butt just now," Laguna was starting to get impatient.

            Squall looked up at his father. Both stared at each other until Squall finally curved his lips upward ever so slightly, a faint hint of a smile. "Yeah, thanks…Dad."

            Laguna smiled back.

                                           *                        *                            *                               *                            *

            Even though it was already dark by the time they reached Balamb, they both agreed on not staying the night in Balamb. After all, it was only an hour's walk to Balamb Garden.

            It was dinnertime when Laguna and Squall finally arrived at Balamb Garden. 

            "They're probably having dinner at the cafeteria right now," remarked Squall.

            "Good, let's go see them right away," replied Laguna.

            The gang was indeed at the cafeteria. Zell was trying to steal a hotdog from Irvine's plate as father and son entered, and was unfortunately discovered by Irvine, who pointed Exeter threateningly at Zell. Squall coughed loudly to get attention.

            The gang turned around and was surprised to see Laguna and Squall standing there. Rinoa gave a squeal of delight before jumping up on Squall, kissing all over his face. Everyone was cheering now that Laguna and Squall had returned. Selphie had been sulking the whole while when Sir Laguna was away.

            "I'll go get Kiros and Ward," Quistis said, and left the cafeteria.

            "Seeing you all eating makes me a bit hungry. Squall, could you get me something to eat?" Laguna requested.

            "Sure, dad," answered Squall, and proceeded to the counter.

            Everyone's jaws dropped, and if it were possible, they would have dropped to the floor. Did they hear Squall wrong, or did he just call Laguna 'dad'? On top of that, he had never been that obedient to anyone except Rinoa.

            As Squall returned with the food, Irvine stood forward and asked, "You feeling alright, Commander? Did that trip do something wrong to you?"

            He was returned with a stare from Squall that could wither a Malboro.

            "Okay…chill, man, chill."

            Rinoa looked at Squall. "That trip really helped with your father-and-son bonding, I'm so happy for you two!"

            Just then Kiros, Ward and Quistis came.

            "You're really back! It's been only a week, I thought you wouldn't be back for another with Laguna leading you around the world," Kiros remarked.

            "He gave up being a navigator," Squall replied. Laguna scratched his head and laughed.

            Kiros and Ward couldn't believe their ears. The power-hungry-navigator Laguna had given up on giving directions? Dear Hyne, another Lunar Cry is coming!

            Selphie couldn't take it any more. "Alright already! Where are the souvenirs?"

            Laguna smiled, looked at Squall, then looked back at the group. "Well, we're truly grateful for your efforts in trying to help us out, so Squall and I decided that ordinary gifts won't do…" Squall rummaged through their luggage for the gifts, and dropped them on the table, "so we got more monster parts for you!"

            Everyone smiled nervously, recoiling in disgust the same time. Only Selphie bounced joyfully, "Whoo-hoo! What did you get for me this time?"

THE END

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Author's note: Yeah!! I finally finished the whole story!! I feel like crying now…It's true about Laguna saving a girl from a train years back. Go ask the woman near the Dollet train station. Oh, the 'woman' at the pub in Dollet being a man is also true. I hold true to the game ^_^ Hope you enjoy my fanfic as much as I do!


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